Billiard-table frame



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J DOCKSTADER BILLIARDvTABLE FRAME. No'. 606,196.A

"Patented June 28,1898.

ATTORNEY.'

WITNESS'ES (No Modem z'sheets-sneet 2.

J. DOCKSTADER. BILLIARD TABLE FRAME No. 606,196; Patented June 26, 1896.

l 'INVENTOR 4 zug ATTQRNEAY tric@ JAMES DocKsTADER, or sYRAoUsE, yNEW' YORK, AssIeNon oFoNE-HALF rrofrr-IoMAs w:v MEAcHnM, or oNoNDAeA vALLnY,"NEw YORK.

Bl LLIARD-TABLE FRAM E.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. Scalea-dated June 28, 189s.

Application inea settanta- 2, i896. serial No. 604,616. (No magri T all whom, t may concern.- Be it known that I, JAMES DocKsTADER, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga,in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Billiard-Table Frames, of Which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the construction lo of billiard-table framesY upon which the slabs or beds and cushion-rails are mounted.

IIeretofore it has been customary to form each of the side broad rails ofv the frame of separate sections-viz.,'a central or main secx 5 tion and two end sections joined to said main section, which end sections were permanently attached to the end cross-rails and were usually termed head-blocks. The legs ofthe table being directly under the corners there: zo of afford rigid supports for the said e'nd crossrails and aforesaid head-blocks, while the supports for the central or main sections of the side broad rails had to V.depend on' the joints by'which they are connected to the 2 5 aforesaid head-blocks. The result of said prior construction is that the said central or main portions of the side broad rails which are subjected to the greater portion of the weight of the slabs or bed are liable to sag 3o and cause the portions of the slabs or bed resting thereon to sag correspondingly out of the level With the ends of the bed. -The object of my present invention is to obviate said defects and at the same time form a billiard-table frame which shall be more substantial and durable without enhancing the cost of manufacturing the same; and to that end the invention consists in the improved construction and combination of the com- 4o ponent parts of the billiard-table frame, as hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.l

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a billiard-table frame embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line X X in Fig. l with the slabs or bed mounted on the frame. Fig. 3 is a detached plan view of one of the side broad rails and head-blocks attached thereto. Fig. 5o 4 is a transverse section on line Y Y in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective View of one of the end broad rails; andFigs 6 and 7 are vertical transverse sections, respectively,

on lines Z Z and U U in Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts.

a a designate the so-called side broad rails of the billiard-table frame; l) b, the end cross broad rails of said frame; c c, the intermediate cross-beams; CZ d, -the so-called head- 6o blocks, which are secured to the inside corners of the frame and receive through them lthe bolts e c, which fasten the legs Z Z to the frame, and fff represent the slabs which rest upon and are fastened to the top of the aforesaid frame and form the bed of the billiard-table. The two end slabs rest with their outer transverse marginal portions upon the' end cross-rails h b and With their inner marginal portions upon half of lthe Widths of 7o the intermediate cross-beams c c, and the central slab has its two transverse marginal portions supported upon the aforesaid two intermediate cross-beams and meeting thereat the transverse edges of the end slabs. Hence thegreater portion of the weight of the bed is carriedon the side broad rails a a, and therefore these portions of the frame require the greatest stabilityT and the most positive 4and direct support upon the legs Z Z in order 8o to prevent the central or main portion of the bed fromjsa'gging out of the requisite true planeof thebed.

The chief object of this invention is to impart tothe frame the requisite stability to prevent the aforesaid injurious effect to the billard-table, and for this purpose I form the side broadrailsa d of planks a a', each of which extends in one continuous piece from end to end of the frame and is supported di- 9o rectly upon the legs ll, placed under the ends thereof, and in order to guard against Warping of said side broad rails and to stiften and strengthen the same generally I prefer tov form each of them of two or more planks placed side by side and ,glued together throughout their adjacent sid/es'.` Said rails thus form the entire sides of the frame. The ends of said frame are formed of 'thevcross broad rails h b and head-blocks del, which Ioo latter are glued to and permanently aiiixed to the ends of the side broad rails a aand have the rails l) l) fastened to them by means of bolts 71. 72 passing through holes bored lengthwise through the end portions of said rails and part way into the adjacent ends of the head-blocks, in which latter are countersunk nuts, receiving the screw-threaded ends of the bolts. Inasmnch as the slabs extend completely across the top el' the frame, as hereinbefore stated, the end slabs receive firm supports on the ends of the side broad rails a a and on the head-blocks d d, which are permanently secured to said rails, and said slabs are not disturbed from their true plane by any sagging or other displacement of the Vbroad cross-rails l) b. These crossrails and head-blocks I also form each of two or more planks glued together side by side to strengthen the frame. For supporting the inner transverse marginal portions of the end slabs and the two transverse marginal portions ofthe central slab I employ the two transverse beams c c, which have their ends boxed on the inner sides of the side broad rails a a, as shown at c c', and are fastened to said rails by bolts t t, passing obliquely lengthwise through the beams c c and engaging nuts n n, which are secured to the interiors of the rails c@ a. Said rails being disposed convergent downward serve with the aid of the bolts t t to firmly support the crossbeams. These beams I also prefer to form each of two or more planks glued together side by side for the purpose hereinbefore stated and for affording proper seats for the marginal portions of the slabs and for receiving the screws by which said slabs are fastened to said beams. y

It will be observed that in my improved billiard-table frame the side broad rails a a. are maintained integral and inflexible throughout the entire length of the frame, and the supporting-legs of the table are placed directly under the ends of said rails, and therefore the liability of the sagging of the cenltrai portion of the billiard-table bed is entirely obviatcd. Besides this said billiardtable frame possesses superior stability and durability and its construction is simple and inexpensive compared with other structures in that line.

lVhat I claim as my invention isl. A billiard-table frame consisting of the inwardly-inelined side broad rails each composed of a plurality of planks extending in one continuous piece from end to end of the frame and glued together thoughout their length; slotted end rails; head-blocks glued to the ends of said side rails,said head-blocks and end rails each being composed oi' a plurality of planks glued together throughout their length; nuts coun tersunk in said head-blocks; bolts having their threaded ends engaged with said countersunk nuts and their heads exposed in the slots in said end rails, the supporting-legs arranged directly under the ends of said side rails and bolted to said headblocks; the intermediate cross-beams; and diagonal bolts, having nuts each countersunk at the junction ot' a pair of planks of the respective side rails, for securing the intermediate beams thereto, the ends of said intermediate beams being received within recesses formed only in the inner planks ot the side rails. y

2. The Aherein described billiard table frame; consisting of the side broad rails, each comprising a plurality ot planks rigidly united side b side throughout their entire length Y e i and each of said planks extending in one continuous piece from end to end ot' the frame; head-blocks permanently secured to the ends Sou of said side rails ;-the end cross-rails having slots; nuts countersunk in said head-blocks and bolts engaging said nuts an d havin gheads exposed in said slots, foi-.securing the end rails to the head-blocks; the intermediate cross-beams; diagonal bolts, havin g nuts each eountersunk at the junction of a pair of planks of the respective side rails, for securing the intermediate beams thereto, the ends of said intermediate beams being received within recesses formed in the inner planks of the side rails; and the supporting-legs placed directly under the ends of said side rails and attached'to said head-blocks, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 17th day ofAugust, 1806.

JAMES DOCKSTADER.' [L st] lllitiiesses:

J. J. LAAss, II. B. SMITH. 

